The Wanderlusting Woman Adventure Waits For No One

Sometimes we can feel compelled by strong conviction, to simply get out and explore the world around us. Interestingly, but certainly not surprising—women do this much more often than men.

What is it that creates the need for so many women to want to get out and explore, and why are women doing this at an alarmingly higher rate as compared to men? We can look at these questions further, by examining the underlying driving force of people, in terms of intrinsic motivation or extrinsic motivation.

Let’s be honest—we all are motivated to do things for a multitude of reasons. The motivation to explore and travel stems from some type of payoff too. Are women just wired differently when it comes to actually taking time away from the monotony of life?

According to the data derived from studies on women and travel, statistics indicate that 80% of travel decisions are made by women. This accounts for women who are single, married, dating, divorced, or widowed. So what’s with the huge gap that goes on between men and traveling? In speaking to my own resources and clientele in regard to married women who travel—it appears that men are the ones who are working more than women—whether it’s through hours or days, therefore taking less vacation time than women. The other answers that I found to be big Issues in the opinions of men, is that women are taking more trips because they’ve padded their bank accounts by receiving money from child support—leaving men with minuscule amounts of money to live off of, let alone, travel with. It was also brought up that some women take complete advantage of men and their resources, by getting trips paid for by the very men who are interested in them. These views are based upon men looking from the outside in, trying to dissect why women are always on the go. Truth be told—women work too, some from home, and some out there in society’s workforce. Perhaps women just know how to plan and manage their time better, resulting in being happier, and living the best life possible.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg though–other reasons are related to the natural makeup of the male and female on a humanistic level. For centuries, women have been subjected to the criticism and control of a world full of men who have made their opinions into rules, laws, and unwritten expectations of who a woman should or should not be. However, in a great and fruitful way–women have taken control over who they choose to be, all while pulling themselves up the ranks in business and professional organizations worldwide. Hard work, pays off—well at least it should.

In a most commendable fashion, women just understand when to take a break and put the focus back on taking care of themselves from the inside out. In a world full of busy people, women are the ones who play an integral role in the nurturing and guidance of the family unit. There comes a time when stress and responsibility hits a high point, and that deep-seated desire to get up and go kicks in. The wanderlust bug strikes time and time again. It’s not that men don’t have these desires, but rather–they ignore and dismiss the need and keep plugging away with work and responsibilities. This obviously is quite the contrary for women. When a break is needed, we simply take one.

Traveling and getting back in touch with people, nature, and the beauty of the world, is something that women not only appreciate, but they thrive off of it. It’s like a supernatural recharge of sorts, that brings about peace and well being. Women plan their trips, document their time there through taking pictures, bringing home souvenirs, and most importantly—bringing back memories that will last a lifetime. After all, memories can be played out like a mental movie at any given time. The next time you travel, remember that experiences are rewards—reward yourself often by living, growing and making magical moments.

Desirae L. Benson is a writer, content editor, magazine columnist, and entertainment media host based on the west coast. She hosts her own show featuring four different segments with celebrities, musicians, and people of prominence. To find out more, visit her on Facebook and IG by using @DesiraeBBB